Whitney Point was the place to be this weekend if you like choppers, American Cruisers or sport bikes. As our Elyse Mickalonis explains, although the 13th annual Cruisin’ Pallooza was all about motorcycles on Sunday, riders have a serious message they want the public to hear.

“It’s the wind in the hair, the cool breeze and just the freedom of it,” said Steve Ellsworth, Town of Binghamton Resident.

Tim Columbia, Southern Tier ABATE Member, added, “Enjoyment out of a country road, riding through the curves with a rhythm, it’s almost like music.”

This weekend’s 13th annual Cruisin’ Pallooza event drew a lot of gear heads and motorcycle enthusiasts, as Sunday marked third annual “Bike Night During the Day.”

Visitors enjoyed food, vendors, and bike games, while riders competed in seven classes, from sports bikes to American Cruisers.

“Most people don’t need a trophy to appreciate their bike more. But to be honest, bragging rights are priceless,” said Ralph Thorn, Johnson City Resident.

Riders said they’re also urging the public to pay extra attention while they’re on the road during the summer, as more bikes will be out.

“You’ve got to be a defensive driver. It’s like football, you’ve got to be defensive all the time and be on the lookout,” said Ellsworth.

Columbia added, “You look and you look twice. Don’t roll through stop signs. Don’t roll through right on reds. Stop, because a motorcycle might be coming.”

Thorn said, “Keep your eye out for us. But if I’ve got mine running you’ll see me, because you’ll hear it, before you see it.”

There was also a bike show hosted by the Triple Cities Chopper Club and a ride to the event by Southern Tier Harley Davidson. Proceeds from the event will go towards Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.

ABATE Member Crystal Morabito is walking in the AIDS Walk this year to help raise money for the Southern Tier AIDs Program (STAP). This is a local non-profit that provides services to people who are HIV Positive. The name of her team is Team No Shame, which is part of a global anti-stigma campaign through Rise Up To HIV. If you would like to make a donation and help her reach her fundraising goal, she has provided a secure and easy-to-use link to her giving page. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Contact:Jeff Hennie
Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Mid Level Ethanol Blends

On Tuesday, February 26th, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing entitled “Mid Level Ethanol Blends: Consumer and Technical Research Needs.” The hearing panel consisted of three witnesses, the American Automobile Association (AAA), the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the Coordinating Research Council (CRG). Vice Chairman Chris Stewart (R-UT) chaired the hearing.

Vice Chairman Stewart had this to say, “Unfortunately, the more E15 is studied, the more concerns are identified. Besides potential widespread impacts on vehicle engines, the EPA has led a haphazard transition to E-15 usage marked by regulatory confusion, bungled implementation, and a lack of consumer education.”

The hearing covered a lot of ground but all panelists endorsed one common theme, the need for more research when it comes to using E-15 as a common fuel. E-15 is fuel that has 85% fossil fuel and 15% ethanol or distilled corn fuel.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) allows for up to a 10% blend of ethanol. In 2010 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a waiver of the CAA allowing for up to a 15% blend of fuel in model years 2001 and newer. The EPA did this after the Department of Energy (DOE) did a study and found the blend to be acceptable, sort of.

The study did not do any testing on a power train or the fuel delivery systems. The only aspect that was tested was the emissions control system, which is troubling to the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

Ethanol was first introduced to the marketplace in the early 1990’s. It was found that the higher oxygen content was able to help bring down carbon monoxide in the tailpipe exhaust of carburetor fed internal combustion engines and therefore, the reduction of smog. Todays modern fuel injected engines can self adjust using oxygen sensors, basically eliminating the need for ethanol.

One witness went into detail about how ethanol is detrimental to engines both large and small. One witness went so far to say that 95% of all vehicles on the road should not use E-15. Two passenger vehicle manufactures have retooled the power train of their vehicles to work well with E-15, the rest have not.

AAA said that there are 169,000 gas stations in the US and just around 20,000 are selling E-15. They went on to emphasize that this is why we need more research now before it’s a more wide spread problem.

All three witnesses also agreed that the environmental impact and cost savings are a wash when it comes to using E-15. The biggest problem with E-15 is the fact that it can harm the engine and the negative side effect of lowering the miles per gallon.

Draft legislation was also unveiled at the hearing, authored by long time motorcycle defender and a MRF Champion, Mr. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). The Sensenbrenner bill would halt the use of E-15 until proper, real world testing is conducted on the effects of E-15 on cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Another issue that was revealed in the hearing was the fact that no one seems to want to take responsibility for any damage done by E-15. Most auto and motorcycle manufactures will not honor warranties when the engine is damaged by E-15 and the fuel providers, who were not at the hearing, do not seem to be standing behind their product.

In June 2011, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner sent letters to 14 automobile manufacturers inquiring as to the relationship between vehicle damage resulting from the use of E-15 and vehicle warranties. All 14 companies responded with letters outlining their concerns with E-15 use and affirmed the potential for E-15 to negatively impact their vehicles and cause engine damage. Furthermore, the manufacturers indicated that their vehicle fleets were not designed to operate on E-15, and stated that the warranties would not cover damage resulting from E-15.

This is not the first time this country has dealt with a change in the fuel supply. When this country switched from leaded to unleaded fuel we had a similar fuel-mislabeling problem. That was fixed when gas stations and auto manufactures agreed to change the filler tube on the vehicle to a different size. This made it nearly impossible to fill a car not designed for leaded gas. No one is suggesting that type of a fix this time around.

One of the witnesses was asked how other countries, such as Brazil have been able to fuel the countries cars with blends up to 50% ethanol. The answer was shocking. He said that the higher blend essentially “ate the cars apart” and left Brazil unable to import cars. They had to completely redesign the power train and now Brazilians can basically only buy Brazilian made cars. He also added that it would take a decade for the US to completely turn over the entire nation’s fleet of cars to work perfectly with E-15.

Sensenberenner is looking for cosponsors for this important legislation. Please call your member of the House of Representatives and ask them to sign onto the “Sensenbrenner Ethanol Bill”. You can reach the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation will keep you updated on this issue.

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A Warm Welcome Home

By Matt Hicks
By Justin Andrews

January 8, 2013 Updated Jan 8, 2013 at 11:29 PM ESTBinghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) After more than a year of serving in Afghanistan, a local soldier is welcomed home.Friends and family greeted Army Sgt. Marlana Watson Tuesday night.But the face she perhaps looked most forward to seeing was that of her 3-year-old son Lasson, who wasn’t talking when she left but now has plenty of words to share with his mother.

“You don’t know what you got until it’s gone. You really get appreciative of things when you go over seas,” said Watson.

“Right now she just has a lot of catching up to do. She’s basically getting to know her son again,” said Tammy Jo Giannicchi, Watson’s mother.

I looked up the term biker and found it to be a motorcyclist. I looked up motorcyclist and found it to be a person who rides a two wheeled vehicle with a motor and no pedals. Now I find that to be in my view, All Wrong. A biker can be someone who rides on the front in the driver’s seat or in the passenger’s seat. There are biker wannabes, has been, will be, maybe, can be, should be, and can’t be. There are bikers on three wheeled vehicles and four. I was told there are only two kinds of bikers. Those that have been down and those that are going down. I did both. There are also those that nearly went down, I did that with three different deer. The ten point buck cost me over a thousand dollars in parts.

A biker just has a passion for being on and near motorcycles. Your world revolves around it. You check the weather everyday. You plan all trips on your bike. The whole summer revolves around it. You go to Bike Night several nights a week in several different locations. I went to Bike Night at the Quaker Steak and Lube in PA, a lot of crotch rockets doing endos (a word not yet in the dictionary) there. They come down a big hill to reach their destination on only their front tire. You look for biker events and attend as many as possible. Your friends have bikes. You have bike stories and more stories. You compare injuries. My patch says, “If you don’t limp, you ain’t sh*t”. You visit the different dealers and buy a shirt, a hat, and some parts. Your closet is full of leather and helmets and gear for different weather. I stop at every dealer I see from here to my destination of travel.

I have had a bike on the Champion Speedway track twice; hit the wall once. I have taken my Vmax to Skyview for test and tune. They told me they would allow me on the track this time in sneakers, but next time I come back to show up in boots. I wheelied my Vmax in second gear on the track…….Yahoo… I have been to Americade, Laconia, and Johnstown for Bike Weeks.

Some of the places I have been that you might want to check out……….

Bill’s Old Barn……..PA….Route 11 Good stop for our fun run next summer.

Numidia………..The All Harley Drags

AMA in Ohio, they have a different display every month. I seen the Arlen Ness bikes.

Milwaukee, home of the Harley factory. I seen the Evil Knievel display. That changes as well. Always something of interest.

Wheels Through Time in North Carolina………..all American motorcycles that actually run, the owner is an awesome guy and what they have on display will capture your undivided attention.

Motorcyclepedia in Newburgh. 2 floors of every Indian motorcycle made, the Wall of Death is in the basement and up and running. The Ed Roth collection of bikes is there. Lots more also.

Carlisle Bike event. Where they wouldn’t let me ride the new Vmax in sandals. These guys need to get a life, I can ride barefoot.

Blackthorne Resort and Bike Show, where I watched the resort burn to the ground. Men were running all around carrying Harley Davidson’s away from the fire because their owners with the key to the bikes weren’t nearby.

All that in one summer.

Like I said, life is full when you are a biker. Winter comes, you can go south with your bike or rent a bike in the south. You can polish your bike in the winter, you can cuddle with your fellow biker and sort pictures of your adventures and plan for the next year. When you are a biker, you always have a friend and someone to ride with. Ten of us get together once a month and set a destination, such as Sylvan Beach, the Hawk’s Nest, or a restaurant on a lake with a view, something of interest and a good time. Never a dull moment and freedom (if you disregard the regulations and laws), the open air, the camaraderie, and you and your bike down the road.

compiled and edited by Bill Bish – MAY 2012
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information or if you have been involved in any type of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at www.ON-A-BIKE.com.WELCOME to our thousands of new subscribers through the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists program, and THANK YOU for indicating on your AIM membership application that you’re interested in receiving motorcycle-related legal & legislative news! The AIM/NCOM e-News now reaches nearly a million concerned motorcyclists every month, bringing current and accurate information directly to your in-box to keep you updated on important issues and current events.

CONGRESS TO CONSIDER MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKPOINTS

In Congressional action on the federal highway bill, a conference committee has been named to consolidate the House-passed bill H.R.4348 and Senate bill S.1813. Language to prohibit federal funding of Motorcycle-Only Roadside Checkpoints is contained in H.R.7, and riders are encouraged to contact their congressional members to urge the conference committee to adopt that wording into the final measure.

LEGAL BATTLE CONTINUES AGAINST MOTORCYCLE ROADBLOCKS

Although the first round in the battle that the law firm of Proner & Proner is waging on behalf of motorcyclists to prevent the New York State Police and other agencies from conducting motorcycle-only checkpoints was won by the police, A.I.M. (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) Attorney Mitchell Proner believes the judge’s ruling overlooked the evidence that motorcyclists were targeted for reasons other than safety.

The challenged checkpoints were set up in proximity to well known motorcycle events. Motorcyclists traveling to those events were forced off the roadway by the police, regardless of any individualized suspicion, and compelled to undergo inspections. Although the inspections were termed “safety” inspections, the majority of tickets issued at the checkpoints were for violations unrelated to safety and the prevention of motorcycle accidents.

The attorneys of Proner and Proner are appealing the District Court decision to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. On March 21, 2012, Mitch Proner filed a lengthy brief arguing that the checkpoints clearly constitute an unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Oral argument will probably take place this fall with a decision soon thereafter.

Proner has vowed to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. As a rider himself and a trial lawyer, Proner is intent on defending the rights of all riders who are being unfairly targeted. “Our right to be free from unreasonable seizures was a gift from our founding fathers which must be defended regardless of personal cost.”

SENATOR KLOBUCHAR HONORED FOR PROTECTING RIDERS’ RIGHTS

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has been awarded the Motorcycle Industry Council Chairman’s Award for her invaluable efforts in stopping the ban on youth ATVs and dirt bikes, and for saving the Recreational Trails Program.

For more than two years, the powersports industry was banned from selling youth sized ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles, inadvertently swept up in comprehensive legislation known as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act — a law intended to protect children from harmful lead content in toys.

“When our industry needed a champion, Senator Klobuchar rose to the occasion, worked with her colleagues, and led the effort to ensure that youth ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles were excluded from the law,” said MIC chairman Larry Little.

Minnesota manufacturer Polaris hosted the award presentation and the company’s president and CEO Bennett J. Morgan also recognized Klobuchar for her work on a critical amendment to the transportation reauthorization legislation known as the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.

Klobuchar, a first-term democrat elected in 2006, also introduced an amendment that sought to restore the Recreational Trails Program, which benefits outdoor recreation including snowmobiling, ATV riding, off-road motorcycling and other off OHV use.

PENNSYLVANIA PROPOSAL WOULD MANDATE SAFETY COURSES FOR YOUNG RIDERS

A bill aimed at increasing the safety of young motorcycle riders has passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 181-1 and is on its way to the Senate.

Anyone under 18 would have to take the course, which highlights areas such as drinking and driving, defensive driving, and proper motorcycle techniques. “Experience counts when it comes to motorcycle safety,” Grove said. “Operating a motorcycle is very different than driving a car, and my goal is to increase the safety and awareness of Pennsylvania’s young motorcyclists.”

Also under Grove’s bill, riders on a class M learner’s permit and under the age of 18 must complete 65 hours of practical driving and have held the learner’s permit for six months before they can take the junior license exam.

Currently, riders have to pass a test in order to get a riders’ permit, which is valid for one year, and then pass a driving test to get a motorcycle license.

A course, called the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, is optional but is not required. If a rider takes and passes the course, they automatically receive a class M license.

KANSAS LEGISLATURE STREAMLINES MOTORCYCLE LICENSURE

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has approved a measure to allow class M motorcycle license applicants who have successfully completed prior motorcycle safety training in accordance with Department of Defense instruction 6055.04 (DoDI 6055.04) to receive their license without completing further written and driving testing. House Bill 2459 was sponsored by Rep. Tom Sloan (R-Lawrence), and was signed into law by Gov. Brownback on March 21, 2012.

PERMANENT MOTORCYCLE WARNING SIGNS INSTALLED ACROSS U.S.

To kick off National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, “Watch for Motorcycles” signs are being donated and installed by Allstate Insurance to help prevent motorcycle crashes at intersections.

Currently, there is no standard sign for motorcycle awareness, and Allstate aims to standardize warning signs for motorcycle safety to target dangerous intersections in more than 30 cities across the country this year.

The yellow, diamond-shaped signs were developed by Allstate as part of its “Once is Never Enough” program, an awareness campaign that encourages people to look twice for motorcycles at intersections.

The permanently installed signs caution motorists to “Watch for Motorcycles” at intersections, which is where most multi-vehicle collisions occur for riders. The signs were designed to establish a standardized warning device that can be used by any local or state agency and would be recognizable to riders and motorists across the country.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 46% of all multi-vehicle crashes occur at intersections, oftentimes as a result of a vehicle turning left, impeding the motorcyclist’s right-of-way.

DIXIE ABATE PROMOTES SAFETY & AWARENESS

Alabama riders gathered on April 28 for a police-escorted high-profile ride to the state capitol at high noon to promote May as Motorcycle Awareness Month; “This ride should give us publicity to advertise to the driving public that they need to work harder to be aware of us as we share the road with them this season,” read an official statement from Dixie ABATE, one of the newest members of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM).

“I want to emphasize to drivers of cars and trucks that GOOD DRIVERS JUST DRIVE,” Vickie Rumble of Dixie ABATE told WSFA-12 News. “Our goal is to completely eliminate motorcycle crashes, whatever their cause.”

After the rally, Harley-Davidson of Montgomery graciously offered riders a complimentary lunch, and the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham offered them discounted admissions.

Dixie ABATE petitioned the NCOM Board of Directors for membership and was approved unanimously during the recent NCOM Convention in Indianapolis over Mothers Day weekend.

NCOM proudly welcomes Dixie ABATE as our newest NCOM Member Group, joining in unity with more than 2,000 other rider groups, clubs and organizations; including Motorcycle Rights Organizations (MROs) from nearly 40 States, and 57 Confederations of Clubs from 36 States and three Canadian Provinces.

WEIRD NEWS: MAN SUES BMW FOR GIVING HIM A HARD TIME

While an extended state of arousal after a motorcycle ride might sound like typical rhetoric of the two wheel crowd, one man is now suing BMW Motorrad USA and the maker of an aftermarket seat after a motorcycle ride left him with an erection that wouldn’t go away.

The California man is claiming that a BMW motorcycle and a dealer installed custom seat are responsible for causing priapism — which thanks to TV advertisements for erectile dysfunction we now know is an erection lasting four hours or longer.

According to an excerpt from the complaint; “Plaintiff was riding his 1993 BMW motorcycle equipped with a Corbin-Pacific seat. The ride lasted approximately two hours each way to plaintiff’s destination, after which plaintiff developed a severe case of priapism. Plaintiff alleges that this condition was caused by the ridge-like seat on his motorcycle, negligently designed, manufactured and/or installed by defendants.”

The suit filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco County seeks damages for lost wages, personal injury, medical expenses, product liability, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

HELMET LAW VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT

A remote village in Zamboanga City in the Philippines, which is trying to promote eco-tourism, has banned motorcycle riders from wearing a full-face helmet and warned that violators will be shot.

A huge tarpaulin sign now hangs on the entrance of Lumayang, and the new village law has attracted strong criticism from various sectors because of its extreme warning. Frederick Atilano, the village chieftain, insists the new law will make their 1,600 residents safe from hired killers, who usually ride tandem on motorcycles and wear full face helmets to conceal their identity.

“This is for the safety of our people against killers. We are banning the use of full face helmets in Lumayang because we wanted to protect the safety of everyone. Motorcycle riders who insist on entering Lumayang with their full face helmet will be shot,” he told the Mindanao Examiner, adding that they also put up a checkpoint in the village to ensure the implementation of his order.

Lawyer Aminola Abaton, the regional director of the Land Transportation Office for Western Mindanao, said Chief Atilano’s order to ban the use of helmets violates the Republic Act No. 10054, also known as the “Motorcycle Helmet Act” law which was signed in March 2010 and is centered on the very safety of the motorcycle riders and the law must at all times be complied with.

Abaton said according to the helmet law, any person caught not wearing the standard protective motorcycle helmet will be punished with a fine of P1,500 for the first offense; P3,000 for the second offense; P5,000 for the third offense, and P10,000 and confiscation of the driver’s license for the fourth and succeeding offenses.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”

Just a short note on the ABATE summer fun ride which emanated from the Choconut Inn at 10:30 AM Saturday 6/30/12. We made a pleasant trip from the Inn to the overlook on Rt6 to a cheese factory, then on to the White Tail Inn For barbecued ribs and chicken,and then back to the starting point at the Choconut Inn. I estimate that around twenty five club members and friends participated, and enjoyed a great day for riding. It was great to see old friends and new members interact with each other. I hope it was as enjoyable for all my brothers and sisters as it was for me. In my view it is this type of activity that will bring club members together and make ABATE an enjoyable experience for everyone!